Kid-Friendly Fast Food

(Aug. 4, 2005) -- Does it seem like your kids are constantly begging for fast food? It's little wonder--the Kaiser Family Foundation reports that the majority of ads targeted to kids are for fast food, candy, and cereal. With that kind of exposure, it's the rare parent who can always steer their child clear of the Golden Arches. The most realistic solution is to know what the best fast food choices are.

You may think that the small portions in kids' meals add up to a not-so-bad lunch or dinner, but in reality, those pint-size servings can pack a day's worth of calories and fat. However, armed with the right knowledge, you can order a fast food meal that's relatively balanced. We waded through the menus of the most popular fast food chains to find the best nutrition choices available for kids and put it all together in this guide.

Before you read the best and worst on the menus, keep the limits for kids' daily calories and fat in mind:

Children 4-6: Maximum 1,800 cal, 50 g fat (25% of daily cal)

Children 7-10 and girls 11-12: Maximum 2,200 cal, 60 g fat

Boys 11-12: Maximum 2,400 cal, 66 g fat

Burger King

Choose These A kids' meal with a 4-piece serving of chicken tenders, barbecue or sweet and sour dipping sauce, onion rings, and orange juice With 170 calories and 9 grams of fat, the tenders are a leaner option than a cheeseburger (350 calories, 17 grams of fat) or even a plain burger (310 calories, 13 grams of fat). The barbecue or sweet and sour sauces contain just 40 calories and no fat compared with 140 calories and 15 grams of fat for ranch dip and 90 calories and 6 grams of fat for honey mustard. Choosing onion rings instead of fries slices off another 50 calories and 2 grams of fat, while the juice supplies 70% of your child's DV for vitamin C--at less sugar and fewer calories than a small soda. The meal comes in at 530 calories and 18 grams of fat.

Hamburger and 1% milk If your child just has to have a burger, choose the plain hamburger--it contains 310 calories and 13 grams of fat. Add 1% milk and your kids will get 38% of their daily calcium requirement. Meal totals: 410 calories, 15.5 grams of fat

Skip TheseOriginal Double Whopper with Cheese Don't ever let your kids order this--it's the highest-calorie item on the whole Burger King menu, weighing in at 1,070 calories and 70 grams of fat.

Double cheeseburger This sandwich has 540 calories and almost double the fat of its "single" cousin--31 grams compared with only 17 grams in the regular cheeseburger.[pagebreak]

McDonald's

Choose TheseA fast food Happy Meal with chicken nuggets, fries, and 1% milk Don't order the "cheeseburger, fries, and soda" combo out of habit. Ask for 1% milk instead of soda and replace the burger with white-meat chicken nuggets. A cheeseburger has 330 calories and 14 grams of fat (a plain hamburger has 280 calories and 10 grams of fat), but the 4-piece McNuggets win out with 170 calories and 10 grams of fat. Forgo the dipping sauce and you'll save an extra 50 calories and up to 3.5 grams of fat (depending on the sauce).

The 8-ounce milk has almost as many calories as a kids-size soda but it wins on all other nutrition fronts--it has less than half the sugar (13 grams compared with 29 grams in Coke) and lots of vitamin A, and covers 30% of your child's DV for calcium. This entire meal has 490 calories and 23.5 grams of fat.

A hamburger and Hi-C orange drink If your child insists on a hamburger, let them have it, but order it alone--not in a Happy Meal with fries. Compromise on their desire for soda by ordering a Hi-C orange drink. It's sweet like soda and contains about as many calories as soda, but your child will get 100% of their daily vitamin C requirement. Meal totals: 400 calories, 10 grams of fat

Skip TheseCrispy Chicken Sandwich All chicken is not created equal--especially when it's fried like the chicken in this sandwich. This option serves up 510 calories and 26 grams of fat--too much for any child.

Wendy's

Some Wendy's restaurants give the choice of fruit instead of fries with their kids' meal, so ask if that's an option when you order.

Choose TheseThe Kid's Meal with chicken nuggets and milk Wendy's cheeseburger has 310 calories and 12 grams of fat so a plain burger (270 calories, 9 grams of fat) is a better option. But just like McDonald's, the 4-piece chicken nuggets are the best bet with 180 calories and 11 grams of fat.

Wendy's meals come with the choice of 2% milk, a kid-size drink, or a junior-size Frosty. Don't cave in when your child tries to push the Frosty option--this 6-ounce milk shake has double the calories of a 12-oz kid-size soda and only 15% of the DV for calcium, while the 2% milk (110 calories, 2.5 grams of fat) provides 25% of the DV for calcium. The kid-size fries add 250 calories and 11 grams of fat. Meal totals: 550 calories, 26.5 grams of fat

Small chili and milk If your kids like chili, take advantage of this at Wendy's by ordering a small chili for them. It contains just 200 calories and 5 grams of fat, and provides 17 grams of lean protein, thanks to the beans. Skip the shredded Cheddar; it contains 70 calories and 6 grams of fat. Pair the chili with milk for a 320-calorie meal with 9.5 grams of fat--plus 25% of the DV for calcium.

Skip TheseJr. Sandwiches Don't let the word "junior" lull you into submission. The Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe contains 350 calories and 15 grams of fat, and the Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger has 380 calories and 19 grams of fat. Add a drink and fries and you've got a very high-calorie kids' meal.

Homestyle Chicken Fillet Sandwich This sandwich may sound like a pretty good choice, but at 540 calories and 22 grams of fat, it's not a good nutritional deal for kids.[pagebreak]

Pizza Hut

Some Pizza Hut restaurants sell milk or juice. Be sure to ask before you order a soda for your child.

Choose TheseOne or two slices of Fit 'n Delicious pizza and a small soda Your best choice at Pizza Hut is the new Fit 'n Delicious pie--your child will get about 170 calories per slice and you can choose healthy toppings like lean chicken and fresh veggies instead of fatty sausage or pepperoni.

For example, one slice of the 12-inch (medium) pie with chicken, red onion, and tomatoes has 170 calories and 4.5 grams of fat. (Remember to double the calories and grams of fat for kids who want two slices.) For a drink, get the smallest-size soda (140 calories). One Fit 'n Delicious slice plus a small Pepsi add up to a 310-calorie meal with 4.5 grams of fat.

One or two slices of Thin 'n Crispy pizza and a small soda This pie is similar to the Fit 'n Delicious, but it contains less sauce and twice the cheese. Still, it's a pretty good option compared to Pizza Hut's other pies. One slice of a Thin 'n Crispy pizza with chicken, red onion, and tomatoes has 200 calories and 7 grams of fat. Add a small soda for a meal containing 340 calories and 7 grams of fat.

Skip TheseStuffed-Crust pizza Pretend this pizza doesn't exist. Even the Veggie Lover's version packs 360 calories and 14 grams of fat per slice for a medium pie.

Pan Pizza Forgo this Pizza Hut classic. One slice of the medium pie with pepperoni contains 290 calories and 15 grams of fat.

Taco Bell

Choose These"Fresco Style" menu items and milk Encourage your kids to order their tacos "Fresco Style"--they'll get extra salsa instead of heavy sauces and cheese. They can choose from 15 different fresco-style burritos, tacos, enchiritos, and gorditas, all under 10 grams of fat. The calorie- and fat-savings can add up quickly: A chicken taco ordered fresco-style has only 170 calories and 4 grams of fat, while its Supreme cousin packs 230 calories and 10 grams of fat.

Ask for 2% milk instead of soda. A fresco-style Fiesta Burrito with chicken plus an 8-ounce carton of milk add up to a 470-calorie meal with 13.5 grams of fat.

Skip TheseNachos BellGrande No matter how much they beg, just say no. The BellGrande contains 780 calories and 43 grams of fat.

Grilled Stuft Chicken BurritoJust because it contains the words "grilled" and "chicken" in its name doesn't mean it's a healthy choice. This item is "stuft" with 680 calories and 26 grams of fat.[pagebreak]

Subway

This fast-food restaurant gets our Editor's Choice Award.

Choose TheseThe Kids' Pak with a lean, deli-style sandwich (turkey, roast beef, or ham), fruit roll-up, and Minute Maid punch This entire meal has about 370 calories and only 1.5 grams of fat (380 calories and 2 grams of fat if they choose roast beef). Your kids will also get a vitamin C boost from the fruit roll-up (25% of the DV) and punch (100% of the DV).

A 6-inch, low-fat sub and Minute Maid punch Subway's low-fat menu contains nine different sandwiches all under 6 grams of fat. For example, the turkey breast or ham 6-inch sub has 290 calories and 5 grams of fat.

Choose the wheat roll and pile on the veggie toppings to boost the nutrition content of this sandwich, and remember to ask for light mayo or oil and vinegar. Get a small Minute Maid fruit punch juice box instead of soda--it has fewer calories than a small soda (100 calories vs. 140 calories). A meal including a 6-inch low-fat turkey breast sub and a fruit punch comes in at 380 calories and 4.5 grams of fat.

Kentucky Fried Chicken

Choose These Kids' Laptop Pack with a drumstick, a side of corn or green beans, and a small soda The drumstick contains only 140 calories while the popcorn chicken and crispy strips each have 270 calories. The corn on the cob has 70 calories and green beans just 50 calories--much better choices than mac and cheese (130 calories, 6 grams of fat) or BBQ beans (230 calories, 1 gram of fat).

If they insist on potatoes, the mashed potatoes with gravy are a reasonable choice at 120 calories and 4.5 grams of fat. For a drink, order unsweetened iced tea if it's available. If not, get a small soda (140 calories). This complete "laptop" meal (including a Mott's applesauce cup and Fruit by the Foot treat) with a soda equals 520 calories and 15.5 grams of fat.

Marinated Original Recipe chicken breast and a small soda This chicken contains just 140 calories and 3 grams of fat. Be sure to order it minus skin and breading, as they add 240 calories and 16 grams of fat to your child's meal. Pair the chicken with one healthy side (such as the green beans, small corn on the cob, or mashed potatoes with gravy mentioned above) and a small soda to create a home-style meal with just over 400 calories and 9 grams of fat.

Skip TheseTriple Crunch, Twister, and Zinger Watch out for these sandwiches: the Triple Crunch with sauce has 670 calories and 40 grams of fat, the Twister weighs in at 670 calories and 38 grams of fat, and Zinger with sauce tops them all at 680 calories and 41 grams of fat.

High-calorie side dishesSome sides have more calories and fat than a fried drumstick! Pass on the potato salad (180 calories, 9 grams of fat), coleslaw (190 calories, 11 grams of fat), and potato wedges (240 calories, 12 grams of fat).

Fast-food Ground Rules

Here are guidelines, not only for fast food runs but eating out in general:

Make soda and milk shakes special, "once in a while" treats. Encourage your kids to order low-fat milk, juice, or bottled water instead.

Try unsweetened iced tea. If your child balks, add one or two packets of sugar for a touch of sweetness. Even with two packets, this adds up to just 22 calories.

If they insist on soda, get the smallest available size. A giant, 42-ounce soda contains 410 calories.

Teach your kids to use sauces and dressings sparingly. A small packet of ranch or Thousand Island can pack a whopping 290 calories.

Don't push salads. If you count dressing and croutons, some "greens and things" combos add up to more calories than your kids' favorite burger-and-fries meal.

Always get small, "kids" portions. A medium order of french fries at McDonald's has double the calories and fat compared with their small, 2.4-ounce serving, for example.

Be careful with milk shakes. Made of blended ice cream, shakes are high in fat and loaded with sugar. For instance, a small vanilla shake packs 400 to 600 calories.